Clothesline-support



w. H. OBTMAN. CLOTHESLINE SUPPRT. 'APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, i919.

1,368,650; A Patented Fb.15,`1921.

narran STATES WILLIAM H. ORTMAN, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CLOTHESLINE-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application led October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,571.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, l/ViLLrAM H. ORTMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of TvVisconsin, have inventedcel1- tain new and useful Improvements in Ulothesline-Support5 and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptio-n thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in supports for clothes lines or other flexible members, more particularly Vof that type adapted to clamp the lexible Imember which is drawn therethrough and thus retain a taut relation thereof.

It is in general the object of my invention to simplify and otherwise improve the structure and to increase the eiliciency and lease of manipulation of devices of this character.

t is more particularly my object to provvide an arrangement for procuring a positive cla-mp action upon release of the initial tension of the clothes line support or other {iexible member which is secured, this positive clamp action being effected by movement of the roller member about which the line is trained to procure its tension.

With the above and other objects and ad- -vantages in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides is the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more. particularly described and defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a clothes line support embodying my invention, a portion 4o thereof being broken away'to more clearly show the structure.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the support.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified 4.5 form of my improved support.

Fif. e Vis a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a still further modification.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a substantially U-shaped body member 5, one arm of which is projected past the free end of the other arm and provided with an inwardly offset extension 6 which is apertured for engagement on a securing t meshinp Gear teeth 10 and 10a.'

hook 7 of a post or other primary support member. A journal pin 8 has its endssecured in the intermediate portions of the legs ofthe body member 5, and a pulley 9 1s mounted on this pin,` having,` its periphery vconcave for the reception of the clothes line acam rib 13 which is disposed in opposi-` A tion'tothe periphery of the roller. The gear segment is yieldably urged in the` direction of inward inclination of the cam rib by a spring 1e coiled on the pin 11 between the gear segment and the lug 12 and having lits `ends secured respectively to these inemers.

In the operation ofthis form of the device, the line L is trained about the pulley as indicated in Fig.v 1 and then drawn to a desired tautness. In this y operation the tendency of the pulley 9 to rotate due to the friction of the line thereagainst is resisted by the spring 14 through the inters e. As the operator releases his grip on the end of the line, the taut nature of the line and its frictional resistance on the pulley aids the spring 14, Vthus causing the pulley and gear segment to rotate together owing to their intermeshing teeth andV causing the cam rib 13 to engage the line and clamp said line firmly against the pulley, whereby the clothes line will'be supported in a desired taut relation. It is noted that the spring 11 causes the Vcam member which is to be formed by the rib 13 to exert a clamping action just as soon as the operator slackens his pull on the end of the line. It is to be further noted' that the cam member and opposed surface both move in the same direction to procure the clamping action, thus tending to eliminate the, possibility of slippage. coiiipact relation of parts procured and to the distribution of tension stresses in a 1ongitudinal line from end to end of the device.

In the modified structure of 3, I provide a U-shaped body member similar to the body 5 of the aforedescribedstructure,

Attention is 'further directed to the j ,y intactoy and having one leg projected past the free end of the other leg and provided with an offset securing extensiono which forms a clamping shoulder 15 at its junction with the major portion of the body member. A substantially semi-circular member 1GV is eccentrically pivoted on a pin 17 extending between the legs of theibody member'a, this semi-circular member being adapted to receive'the line thereabout and thus forming what may be termed a .semi-circular pulley member, although the pulley function is only exercised in rocking action oi the member. The end portion or" the member 16 Which has the greater radius is resiliently Y urged toward the shoulder 15 by a spring 18. Thus, in operation, the line is trained about the member 1? and drawn to its desired'tautness. As the operator releases his pull onthe line, the 'member 16 Will rock, partially undei1 influence of its spring 18, but primarily under the tension pull of the majorV stresser line, thus irmly clamping theline between the Vclamp surface vot theshoulder 15 and the periphery? Of said member 16.

Fig. L1 shows a' still Vlurther modification wherein a pairf of semi-circular cam members 19 and 2O are'clamped between the legs or" the U-shaped body member 5b andhave their end portions -ofgi'eater radius urged together by springs 21. ln the operation of this form of the device, various ofthe advantages of the structures as shownin Figs.

1 and 2 are procured,cinasmuch as both of the clampsuriaces are movedV inthe clamping action, and inasmuch as a positive clamping engagement -is secured by direct clamp action of the member about which the cord is trained for tension. y

VlWhile .lA have 'shown and described pre- Vierred:embodiments of my invention,it will be appreciated that various changes and modifications of structure maybe employed Without departing from the spirit of my invention as set out in the appended claims.

movement in the direction of said engage-V ment and agear connection between said pulley andfsaid clamp whereby the rotative force transmitted to the pulley by the ric'-l tion orp the line Will act in opposition, Yto the spring when the line is drawn in one direction and will reinforce theV springrvhen the line is drawn in the oppositedirection.

2. A. device'oil the dass described' coniprising'a bodyV member, a pulley'. rotatably mounted on the'body. member and adapted Jfor rotation relative to the Vbody incinbei' by the friction of the line trained about Vsaid pulley, a clamp rotatably mounted on said body memberradjacent to saidjpulley, said clamphaving an eccentric portion engageable With the line trained aboutV thepulley Y upon rotation or' said clamp in one direction, a' spring urging said clamp to rotative movement in the direction Vor",said`engagerrent, and a gear connection betweenfsaid pulley and said clamp whereby the rotative force transmitted tothe pulley `bythe ction of the line ivill act inopposition to tl spring when the line is drawn in one direction, and will reinforce the spring` When the lineA is draivn'in the opposite direction.-V

ln testimony thatl claim theoregoing l have hereunto set myhand atlfdilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State or" Wisconsin.

WiLLmM n. cernita; 

